NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Google’s shares have clung tenaciously near record highs after a three-month, 30 percent rally fueled by rising optimism about Internet advertising, but Wall Street fears it may be running out of steam.

Google stock has hovered near an all-time high of $774.38 since touching that peak on October 5. To break through that level, investors and analysts say it needs to run a gauntlet of risks that could undermine its status as technology’s second-most valuable company.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Google Inc’s shares have clung tenaciously near record highs after a three-month, 30 percent rally fueled by rising optimism about Internet advertising, but Wall Street fears it may be running out of steam.

Google stock has hovered near an all-time high of $774.38 since touching that peak on October 5. To break through that level, investors and analysts say it needs to run a gauntlet of risks that could undermine its status as technology’s second-most valuable company.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Two San Francisco-based car-sharing services, including one founded by Zynga Inc (ZNGA.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) director Sunil Paul, are operating in defiance of California authorities, highlighting how regulators are struggling with a wave of start-ups that encourage people to share everything from cars to their homes.

SideCar and Lyft, which offer rides by ordinary car owners moonlighting as taxis drivers, have continued to operate in the city despite receiving cease-and-desist letters in August, said Frank Lindh, general counsel for the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates livery services.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Zynga Inc’s
inexorable decline over the past six months, capped by a sharp
reduction in its 2012 outlook on Thursday, has sharpened
interest in what Chief Executive Mark Pincus will do next.

Wall Street’s excitement over a game publisher once counted
among the stars of the new social Internet has cooled since its
December initial public offering. On Friday, analysts slashed
their price targets on a stock that dived as much as 22 percent,
to $2.21 – more than three-quarters off its $10 debut.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc passed the 1 billion user mark in September, a level of global penetration that is a remarkable achievement for an 8-year-old social network and a heightened challenge to its quest for sustained growth.

Facebook, which has endured a bruising four months in the stock market since a haphazard May 18 initial public offering, has acknowledged that a slowdown in new-user acquisition is inevitable as its worldwide reach expands.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Zynga Inc slashed its 2012 outlook for a second time on the poor performance of its live Internet games and the writeoff of an acquisition, fanning doubts about its ability to halt a steep decline in earnings and sending its shares to a record low.

The social games maker — hailed a year ago as part of a new generation of hot consumer Internet companies — acknowledged on Thursday that it is still struggling to stem user flight from Facebook titles like “CityVille” and “FarmVille” that had once driven revenue growth.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 4 (Reuters) – Zynga Inc on
Thursday slashed its 2012 outlook for the second time in two
months, warning that lagging performance from its live Internet
games and a writedown from an acquisition would drag down its
third-quarter results, and its shares fell 18 per c ent.

The company estimated a third-quarter loss of 12 cents to 14
cents and projected 2012 adjusted earnings before interest, tax,
depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $147 million to $162
million versus its previous outlook for $180 million to $250
million.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – After struggling for years, in late 2010, Driving Sports TV, a scrappy, two-person video production outfit led by Ryan Douthit, finally began supporting itself with advertising income from YouTube.

It didn’t matter that the channel’s production set was simply a green screen in Douthit’s cramped garage in a leafy Seattle suburb; Driving Sports TV’s revenues were roaring like the rally car engines it featured.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – After struggling for years, in late 2010, Driving Sports TV, a scrappy, two-person video production outfit led by Ryan Douthit, finally began supporting itself with advertising income from YouTube.

It didn’t matter that the channel’s production set was simply a green screen in Douthit’s cramped garage in a leafy Seattle suburb; Driving Sports TV’s revenues were roaring like the rally car engines it featured.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc passed the 1 billion user mark in September, a level of global penetration that is both a remarkable achievement for an 8-year-old social network and a heightened challenge to its quest for sustained growth.

Facebook, which has endured a bruising four months in the stock market since a haphazard May 18 initial public offering, has acknowledged that a slowdown in new-user acquisition is inevitable as its worldwide reach expands.